Boiler-tube plug.



No. 655,!87. Patented Aug; 7, !900.

S. J. M. BERTHET BOILER TUBE PLUG.

(Application filed May 8, 1900.) (No Model.)

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A rra/mars NI-TED STATESF PATENT' rrron STPIIANE JEAN MARIE BERTHET, OFSANNOIS, FRANCE.

BOlLER-TUBE PLUG.

SPECIFICATION formin g part of Letters PatentNo. 655,187, dated. August7, 1900.

Application filed May 8, 1900. Serial No. 15,910. (Ne model.)

To all whom, it may con/067%.-

Be it known that I, STPHANE JEAN MARIE BERTHET, engineer, of Sannois,departnent of Seine-et-Oise, France, have invented a certain new anduseful Boiler-Tube Plug, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relatcs to a device for stopping or c'losing tubes,particularly applicable to the plugging of boiler-tubes known aswater-tube boilers, allowing the closing,as also the subsequent opening,of such tubes to be effected with certainty and rapidity.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 shows inlongitudinal sectionatubeplugged at one of its ends by means of myinvention. Fig. 2 is across-section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows in front and sideelevation one of the closing devices. Fig. 4: shows in front and sideelevation a Washer of ductile metal. Fig. 5 shows similarly an analogousWasher in a modified form. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section similar toFig. 1, showinga tube closed by means of the Washer illustrated in Fig.5.

To plug or close the end of a tube according to my invention, such tubea must at its extremity be provided with a series of slots b b b,divided out circularlyrnear the end. The device for'efecting the closingconsists of three parts.

First. A ring c, which can adjust itself freelyin the tube a at its end.Such ring is furnished exteriorly with arns d d of a sufticient size tofit snugly in the slots I) b of the tube a, so that this ring is heldtherein in a manner similar to the well-'known bayonetsocket joint.

Second. A bolt whose head e is of a diameter slightly less than that ofthe tube a, so as to be able to enter the same freely. The stem f is ofa diameter corresponding with that of the opening in the ring c. Thisbolt is furnished with a nut g.

Third. A Washer h, of ductile metal, such as copper--red copper, forinstance--assuming the form of a truncated cone or a similar form. Itsouter and inner diameters are such that it can be engaged freely by thetube a on the one hand and by the stem of the bolt e on the other. i

To perfol' the plugging of the tube, the bolt withoutitsnut is firstinsert-ed. Then the washer of ductile metal h is slipped in, the base ofthe cone being turned toward the opening of the tube a. The ring c isafterward fitted, its arms eu gagin g the slots in the tube, and itbeing rotated for the small fraction of a turn suflicient to cause it tobe retained in place. Finally, the nut g is screwedbn the bolt, and upontightening up the said nut the head of the bolt is drawn outwardly andmeets the ring c, energetically compressing' the Washer against thelatter. The Washer h is thus slightlydeformed under the force of thepressure to which it is subjected and insures tightness in a perfectmanner.

I do not limit myself Strictly to the beforenentioned shape of theductile Washer, which, indeed, can be varied in several ways. Onemodification I have shown on Fig. 5. The ductile Washer in this figureis of the shape of an annular ring of perceptibly semicircular section.Fig. G shows in longitudinal section a tube stopped or plugged by meansof such a ring. is of the shape shown on the drawings.

I may modify the plug or closing device above described in various wayswithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Thus the ductile-metal washer can be constructed of a truncated-coneshape or in any other shape which will adapt itself to the conditionsrequired, and the arrangement for holding the ring in the tube maycomprise any number of slots in the tube and a corresponding number ofprojections from the ring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as such, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- `1. The combination with a tube, of aplug having an opening therethrough adapted to be rigidly secured in the`end of the tube, a bolt passing freely through the opening inthe plug,a head on the bolt within the tube, a nut threaded on the shank of thebolt having a hearing on the outside of the plug and acompressibleWasher comprising a thin ring interposed between the bolt-head and plug,the edge of said ring beingpressed against the tube on'the compressionthereof,substantially as described.

2. In a plug or closing device for tubes, the combiuation ofbayonet-slots in the ends of the tube, of au inner ring havingprojections In this case the head e of the bolt f IOO which enter thesaid Slots, of a bolt passing through said ring having a head hearing'against a soft-metal Washer of a eonicai or' semicircular section sothat upon drawing the head of the bolt outwardly by means of a nnt uponits stern, the said Washer is compressed and expanded outwardly forminga tight joint, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregqing as my invention I have signed myname ih pres o ence of two subseribng witnesses.

STPHANE JEAN MARIE BERTHET,

Witnesses:

GUSTAVE DUMONT, EDWARD P. MACLEAN.

